The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/21494
productive — often to do more on a smaller budget. As Walter Powell has observed, ‘the growing reliance of established firms in all industries on outside parties for nearly every stage in the research, design, and production process has become very strong.’” — Milton C. Regan, Jr. and Palmer T. Heenan, “Supply Chains and Porous Boundaries: The Disaggregation of Legal Services” (Fordham Law Review, 2010) The subject of this Fordham Law Review article focuses on outsourcing legal work (e.g., researching, drafting documents). This may be sacrilege, but it may be easier to outsource basic attorney services than trainer services especially if their boots-on-the-ground expertise is maximized. True, there are many wonderful contract training companies, but, if you are absolutely serious about winning the deployment war, they can only exist to support your larger ambitions for world (or firm) domination. Outsourcing training will not shore up software longevity. Superior in-house trainers, on the other hand, not only understand how the software works but also how it best functions within the walls of their firms. WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS The battalions have withdrawn. The rollout is completed. The firm is spinning, but everyone (with hope, everyone) has survived. How do you hold on to this hard won victory? Once the smoke has cleared, you maintain peace by adapting the same boots-on-the-ground strategy employed during the deployment along with defining a software owner — the product manager. Create a strict inventory and ownership policy for all software on your network and in the cloud. It may seem that practice- specific software — library, human resources, litigation support, marketing, bankruptcy, etc. — is outflanking IT. Keeping on top of applications battling for more and more real estate on lawyer and staff desktops is near impossible these days without specific plans and policies in place, which includes appointing a point person for the product. Taking it a step further, it’s possible for software to drop through the cracks. Staff who had championed a software solution may retire or may be let go. In some cases, IT departments may be surprised by the fact that their firm already owns a software solution that IT has spent weeks researching for possible purchase. The technology could lay fallow for years, not fully understood and, consequently, not fully used. Given the current economy, this trend is on the rise. This is not only a waste of money, but often a missed opportunity to improve firm efficiency. For this reason, product managers are not a nicety — they are a necessity. 80 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer “I predict that lawyers who are unwilling to change their working practices and extend their range of services will, in the coming decade, struggle to survive. Meanwhile, those who embrace new technologies and novel ways of sourcing legal work are likely to trade successfully for many years ….” — Richard Susskind author of “The End of Lawyers?” Trainers are uniquely qualified to operate as product managers. They understand the software, the users, the processes, and they can bring the necessary elements together to get the job done. In a time when downsizing is the norm, it will benefit everyone to re-examine and reinvent the role of legal trainers. Trainers know: • What products are available • Where they are located • How to use them • How the products can be maximized within a given workflow, practice group or case It would be wise then for trainers/product managers to add the following tasks to their implementation lists: • Plan for the natural (or unnatural) attrition or addition of staff. As noted before, firms need to designate two to three application experts per product. Be proactive and develop a Plan B in case any of the experts leave the firm. In addition, if a firm goes the route of hiring a product manager, this information must be broadcast to the user base to ensure everyone knows who is responsible for the product in the event it’s required on a case or deal, if someone needs instruction, or if it breaks. • Take proactive steps to understand the dynamics of a practice group’s workflow and adjust the product and/or the curriculum to accommodate any new dynamics within the firm or individual practice groups. • Conduct yearly surveys to gauge software usage. • Continue to reinforce skills through ongoing classes. • Establish interdepartmental buy-in as a part the long-term plan for adoption. It is one thing to have a great plan, but if there’s no buy-in, scheduling maintenance training and support a year or two following implementation may become problematic.